Hat Rock, Mt. Hebron fires are contained
By Terry Murry on Saturday, June 17th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
News release from the Oregon State Fire Marshal:
Fire Update: Saturday, June 17, 2023
Today brings the final day of the OSFM task force’s work on the line of the Hat Rock Fire. As of 7 a.m. today, the OSFM has turned back management of the fire to local authorities.
“Our crews have worked hard to build and maintain a perimeter around the fire area,” Incident Commander Lance Lighty said.
No flare-ups have occurred since Thursday morning. The final acreage for Hat Rock Fire is 16,816 acres with 100% containment. At the height of this incident a total of 243 structures were threatened with 65 of those being residences but no structures were damaged or lost. The Mt. Hebron Fire was transitioned back to local authorities yesterday (Friday) with 100% containment and a final acreage of 370 acres.
Investments made through Senate Bill 762 in 2021 made a significant difference in keeping the fire to the smallest footprint and protecting communities. The collaboration with the Oregon Department of Forestry is highly appreciated and made a difference in fighting this fire. All task forces are heading home this morning along with the incident management team.
“I want to thank the Umatilla County Fire District and all the firefighters for their hard work, the landowners and community members that rose to the occasion to protect their neighbors, the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office for their collaborative work, and the community for their support of the firefighters working long hours,” OSFM Agency Administrator Travis Medema said.
